"Negro Ensemble Company production ""A Soldier's Play"" which premiered November 20, 1981. A major career break came when Washington starred as Dr. Phillip Chandler in NBC's television hospital drama ""St. Elsewhere"", which ran from 1982 to 1988. He was one of only a few African-American actors to appear on the series for its entire six-year run. He also appeared in several television, motion picture and stage roles, such as the films ""A Soldier's Story"" (1984), ""Hard Lessons"" (1986) and ""Power"" (1986). In 1987, he starred as South African anti-apartheid political activist Steven Biko in Richard Attenborough's ""Cry Freedom"", for which"
"campaigned against apartheid and further publicised Biko's life and death, writing many newspaper articles about him, as well as a book, ""Biko"" (1978). This was made into the 1987 film ""Cry Freedom"" by Richard Attenborough, starring Denzel Washington as Biko. Many film critics and Black Consciousness proponents were concerned that the film foregrounded white characters like Woods over Biko himself, but ""Cry Freedom"" brought Biko's life and activism to a wider audience. The state censors initially permitted its release in South Africa, but after it began screening in the country's cinemas, copies were confiscated by police on the order of"
"of the Messianic Jews' congregation in Haifa. In April 2014, Washington presented at Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS Easter Bonnet Competition with Bryan Cranston, Idina Menzel and Fran Drescher, after raising donations at his Broadway show ""A Raisin in the Sun"". Denzel Washington Denzel Hayes Washington Jr. (born December 28, 1954) is an American actor, director, and producer. He has received three Golden Globe awards, a Tony Award, and two Academy Awards: Best Supporting Actor for the historical war drama film ""Glory"" (1989) and Best Actor for his role as a corrupt cop in the crime thriller ""Training Day"" (2001). Washington"
"""Cry Freedom"", for which he received his first nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. Two years later, Washington won the award for playing Trip, a former slave-turned-soldier in Civil War film ""Glory"" (1989). In 1990, he played the title character in the play ""The Tragedy of Richard III"", and starred in Spike Lee's comedy-drama ""Mo' Better Blues"". Washington received the Silver Bear for Best Actor at the Berlin International Film Festival, for playing the eponymous civil rights activist in Lee's ""Malcolm X"" (1992). In 1993, Washington starred in Kenneth Branagh's adaptation of the Shakespearean comedy ""Much Ado"
"him well in his portrayal of the strong-willed but even-tempered journalist."" Film critic Gene Siskel of the ""Chicago Tribune"" gave the film a ""thumbs up"" review calling it ""fresh"" and a ""solid adventure"" while commenting ""its images do remain in the mind ... I admire this film very much."" He thought both Washington's and Kline's portrayals were ""effective"" and ""quite good"". Similarly, Michael Price writing in the ""Fort Worth Press"" viewed ""Cry Freedom"" as often ""harrowing and naturalistic but ultimately self-important in its indictment of police-state politics."" Mark Salisbury of ""TimeOut"" boasted on the film's merits by declaring the lead"
"For Queen and Country For Queen and Country is a 1988 British-American crime drama film co-written and directed by Martin Stellman and starring Denzel Washington. Washington stars as Reuben James, a Black British former paratrooper, who joined the British Army to escape the poverty of inner city London; Reuben fights in the Falklands War, and upon returning home he finds that society ignores and challenges him while trying to adjust to normal life. The film received mixed reviews and was a box office flop. It has recently been reevaluated as a serious critique of Thatcherism and its effect in the"
"Power (1986 film) Power is a 1986 American drama film directed by Sidney Lumet and starring Richard Gere. The original screenplay by David Himmelstein focuses on political corruption and how power affects both those who wield it and the people they try to control. Denzel Washington's performance in the film as public relations expert Arnold Billings earned him the 1987 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture. Beatrice Straight's performance as Claire Hastings, however, earned her a Golden Raspberry Award nomination for Worst Supporting Actress. Pete St. John (Richard Gere), a ruthless and highly successful media"
"articles about Biko. Richard Attenborough's movie ""Cry Freedom"" was based on ""Biko"" and other articles written by Woods. It stars Denzel Washington as Biko and Kevin Kline as Woods. The movie was not banned in South Africa, but the police confiscated copies of it, and theaters showing it were bombed. Biko (book) Biko is a biography about Black Consciousness Movement leader and anti-apartheid activist Steve Biko. It was written by the liberal white South African journalist Donald Woods, a personal friend of Biko. Donald Woods was forced into exile for attempting to expose the truth surrounding Biko’s death. It was"
"1981, after 5 years in custody, his 40-year Federal term and 30-year state term were reduced to time served plus lifetime parole. In 1984, he was caught and convicted of trying to exchange one ounce of heroin and $13,000 for one kilogram of cocaine. He was defended by his former prosecutor Richie Roberts and received a sentence of seven years. He was released from prison in 1991. Lucas' life was dramatized in the Universal Pictures crime film ""American Gangster"" (2007), in which he was portrayed by Denzel Washington.<ref name=""ABC/Reuters""></ref> In an interview with MSNBC, Lucas expressed his excitement about the"
"another paraplegic veteran. Dafoe made a cameo appearance in John Waters' musical comedy ""Cry-Baby"" (1990) as a prison guard who gives a brief lecture on values to the title character, who is played by Johnny Depp. Rita Kempley of ""The Washington Post"" found the scene to be one of the film's highlights. In the same year, Dafoe co-starred in David Lynch's crime film ""Wild at Heart"" with Nicolas Cage and Laura Dern. Dafoe played a criminal who engages in a robbery with Cage's character before demonstrating his dark side. He wore fake, corroded teeth and grew a pencil moustache that"
"flyboy stuff and meaningful glances accompanied by this year's pop music hit."" Betsy Sharkey of ""The Los Angeles Times"" wrote that Denzel Washington—who starred in ""Crimson Tide"", ""Man on Fire"", ""Déjà Vu"", ""The Taking of Pelham 123"", and ""Unstoppable""—was Scott's , and Scott ""was at his best when Washington was in the picture. The characters the actor played are the archetype of the kind of men Scott made. At their core, and what guided all the actions that followed, was a fundamental decency. They were flawed men to be sure, some more than others, but men who accorded dignity to"
"Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play for playing Troy Maxson in ""Fences"". For his portrayal of an alcoholic airline pilot in ""Flight"" (2012), he garnered an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor. In 2014, Washington appeared in the action thriller ""The Equalizer"", and the play ""A Raisin in the Sun"". Denzel Washington on screen and stage Denzel Washington is an American actor who made his feature film debut in ""Carbon Copy"" (1981). In 1982, Washington made his first appearance in the medical drama ""St. Elsewhere"" as Dr. Philip Chandler. The role proved to be the breakthrough in his"
"at the Navy base's medical facility, is given what is called a ""Cinderella Liberty"" pass which allows him to freely leave the naval base as long as he is back by midnight curfew. The film is one of two 1973 film adaptations of Ponicsan's novels, the other being ""The Last Detail"". ""Cinderella Liberty"" was nominated for Academy Awards for Best Actress in a Leading Role (Marsha Mason), Best Music, Original Dramatic Score, and Best Music, Song (John Williams and Paul Williams for ""Nice to Be Around""). The movie was filmed in Seattle, Washington. John J. Baggs Jr. (James Caan) a"
"Johnny Depp filmography John Christopher Depp II is an American actor, director, screen writer, film producer,art director and musician. He started his film career by playing Glen Lantz in the 1984 horror film ""A Nightmare on Elm Street"". He also appeared in the 1986 film ""Platoon"" with Charlie Sheen, Tom Berenger, and Willem Dafoe. In the 1990s, the starred as the title characters in the films ""Cry-Baby"" (1990), ""Edward Scissorhands"" (1990), ""Arizona Dream"" (1993), ""What's Eating Gilbert Grape"" (1993), Benny and Joon 1993 romantic drama ""Ed Wood"" (1994), ""Don Juan DeMarco"" (1995), Dead Man (1995) and ""Donnie Brasco"" (1997). He"
"in Washington to a mixed response from Republicans and Democrats who did not like the dark visions Cohen evoked on American politics and the portrayals of Presidents Franklin D. Roosevelt and Richard M. Nixon: actor Howard Da Silva played Roosevelt, and ""Richard M. Dixon"" plays Nixon. After it was shown in Washington, the film took a limited nationwide release to theaters, and got a full release to video and television into the 1980s and 1990s. The film is a chronicle of forty years in the life of FBI director J. Edgar Hoover, starting first in the time of Prohibition, as"
"protested that it was demeaning to their contributions to the city's history. Alamo: The Price of Freedom Alamo: The Price of Freedom is a 1988 American IMAX film directed and written by Kieth Merrill starring Merrill Connally, Casey Biggs, Enrique Sandino, Steve Sandor, Don Swayze, and Derek Caballero. The film was distributed by Macgillivray Freeman Films. It is based on the George A. McAlister book of the same name. It is shown at San Antonio's IMAX in Theater Rivercenter. In 1836, soldiers sacrifice their lives in combat in the new Republic of Texas. At the time of its filming, the"
"""bewildering at some points and ineffectual at others"" but pointed out that ""it isn't dull. Its frankly grandiose style is transporting in its way, as is the story itself, even in this watered-down form."" She also complimented the African scenery, noting that """"Cry Freedom"" can also be admired for Ronnie Taylor's picturesque cinematography"". The ""Variety Staff"", felt Washington did ""a remarkable job of transforming himself into the articulate and mesmerizing black nationalist leader, whose refusal to keep silent led to his death in police custody and a subsequent coverup."" On Kline's performance, they noticed how his ""low-key screen presence served"
"of Denzel Washington characters are described in the podcast as components of ""Denzelishness."" These include: the Denzel walk (""sideways stroll with the confidence of a man who just had a shot of tequila""), Denzel humor, the Denzel lip, unaffected badassery, and the Glory tear (referring to an iconic scene where Washington's character cries a single tear in that film). In the show, Avery and Bell periodize Washington's films into four distinct phases: the ""Glory"" Era, the ""He Got Game"" Era, the ""Man on Fire"" Era, and the Old Man Action Era. The latter is the current era of his filmography,"
"film and amazement at Washington's portrayal, though he admitted only a small portion of the film was true, much of it fabricated for narrative effect. In addition, Richie Roberts criticized the film for portraying him in a custody battle while in real life Roberts never had a child; he also criticized the portrayal of Lucas, describing it as ""almost noble"". Judge Sterling Johnson, Jr. described the film as ""one percent reality and ninety-nine percent Hollywood."" In addition, Johnson described the real life Lucas as ""illiterate, vicious, violent, and everything Denzel Washington was not."" Former DEA agents Jack Toal, Gregory Korniloff,"
"Fisher"". His second directorial effort was ""The Great Debaters"", released in 2007. Washington's third directorial effort, ""Fences"", in which he also starred, was released on December 16, 2016, and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture. Washington was born in Mount Vernon, New York. His mother, Lennis ""Lynne"" (née Lowe; born 1924), was a beauty parlor owner and operator born in Georgia and partly raised in Harlem. His father, Denzel Hayes Washington Sr. (1909–1991), a native of Buckingham County, Virginia, was an ordained Pentecostal minister, and also worked for the New York City Water Department and at a"
"Cinderella Liberty Cinderella Liberty is a 1973 American romantic drama film adapted by Daryl Ponicsan from his 1973 novel of the same name. The film tells the story of a sailor who falls in love with a prostitute and becomes a surrogate father for her 10-year-old mixed race son. Produced and directed by Mark Rydell, the film stars James Caan, Marsha Mason, and Eli Wallach, with a supporting cast that includes Kirk Calloway, Burt Young, Allyn Ann McLerie, Dabney Coleman, Jon Korkes, and Allan Arbus. The title is derived from the plot point that the sailor, while receiving medical treatment"
"J. Kenneth Campbell J. Kenneth Campbell (born July 22, 1947) is an American film, stage, and television actor with distinctive features who has been cast in over 80 roles. He was born in Flushing, New York. He played Richard Henry Lee in the 1984 television miniseries ""George Washington"". His film credits include roles in ""Waxwork"" (1988, as the Marquis De Sade), ""The Abyss"" (1989), ""An Innocent Man"" (1989), ""Blue Heat"" (1990), ""Flight of the Intruder"" (1991), ""Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot"" (1992), ""Deadfall"" (1993), ""Cobb"" (1994), ""Turbulence"" (1997), ""Ulee's Gold"" (1997), ""Bulworth"" (1998), ""Blue Streak"" (1999), ""Sonic Impact"" (2000),"
"Cry-Baby Cry-Baby is a 1990 American teen musical romantic comedy film written and directed by John Waters. It was the only film of Waters' over which studios were in a bidding war, coming off the heels of the successful ""Hairspray"". The film stars Johnny Depp as 1950s teen rebel ""Cry-Baby"" Wade Walker, and also features a large ensemble cast that includes Amy Locane, Polly Bergen, Susan Tyrrell, Iggy Pop, Ricki Lake, and Traci Lords, with appearances by Troy Donahue, Joe Dallesandro, Joey Heatherton, David Nelson, Willem Dafoe, and Patricia Hearst. The story centers on a group of delinquents who refer"
"In his free time, Geraghty enjoys surfing. Brian Geraghty Brian Timothy Geraghty (born May 13, 1975) is an American actor, known for his role in the Academy Award–winning film ""The Hurt Locker"", for his role alongside Denzel Washington in the 2012 film ""Flight"", and for his recurring role in the acclaimed HBO drama series ""Boardwalk Empire"". He appeared as a regular on NBC's ""Chicago P.D."" from 2014 to 2016. Geraghty was born in Toms River, New Jersey, and is of Irish descent. He graduated from Toms River High School East in 1993 and then studied acting at the Neighborhood Playhouse"
"Carbon Copy (film) Carbon Copy is a 1981 British-American comedy film directed by Michael Schultz. The film stars George Segal, Susan Saint James, Jack Warden, and features Denzel Washington in his feature-film debut. It was the first feature film produced by RKO Pictures after a break of many years, though they were only co-distributor with Avco/Embassy Pictures and Hemdale Film Corporation. Roger Porter (Washington), a black man, is the long-lost son of Walter Whitney (Segal), a white businessman living in the exclusive, predominantly white community of San Marino, California. Walter, who is Jewish, lives a frustrating life in his gated"
"average of 6.5/10. The website's critical consensus reads, ""The ending may be less than satisfying, but Denzel Washington reminds us why he's such a great actor in this taut and brutal police drama."" On Metacritic, the film has a score of 70 out of 100, based on 35 critics, indicating ""generally favorable reviews"". Roger Ebert gave the film three-out-of-four stars, praising both the lead and supporting actors and the film's gritty, kinetic energy. However, Ebert was bothered by several plot holes and wrote that ""[a] lot of people are going to be leaving the theater as I did, wondering about"
"""Tomcats"" (2001), ""Collateral Damage"" (2002), ""Guess Who"" (2005) and ""The Only Good Indian"" (2009). J. Kenneth Campbell J. Kenneth Campbell (born July 22, 1947) is an American film, stage, and television actor with distinctive features who has been cast in over 80 roles. He was born in Flushing, New York. He played Richard Henry Lee in the 1984 television miniseries ""George Washington"". His film credits include roles in ""Waxwork"" (1988, as the Marquis De Sade), ""The Abyss"" (1989), ""An Innocent Man"" (1989), ""Blue Heat"" (1990), ""Flight of the Intruder"" (1991), ""Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot"" (1992), ""Deadfall"" (1993), ""Cobb"""
"""The Rainmaker"" (1986), ""Candida"" (1986), ""On the Razzle"" (1986), ""Execution of Justice"" (1986), ""Cyrano"" (1985), ""A Midsummer Night's Dream"" (1985), ""Great Expectations"" (1985), ""A Christmas Carol"" (1984), ""Twelfth Night"" (1984), and ""Three Sisters"" (1984). John Towey John Madden Towey (born February 13, 1940) is an American actor. He studied acting and directing at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago. He received B.F.A. degree in directing in 1967. Acted two seasons at the Arena Stage in Washington D.C. (1977–78 and 1981). Acted two seasons at the Guthrie Theatre in Minneapolis (1984–1986) and two seasons at The Public Theater in New York 1987-89,"
"Mo' Better Blues Mo' Better Blues is a 1990 musical drama film starring Denzel Washington, Wesley Snipes, and Spike Lee, who also directed. It follows a period in the life of fictional jazz trumpeter Bleek Gilliam (played by Washington) as a series of bad decisions result in his jeopardizing both his relationships and his playing career. The film focuses on themes of friendship, loyalty, honesty, cause-and-effect, and ultimately salvation. It features the music of the Branford Marsalis quartet and Terence Blanchard on trumpet, who also plays for the Bleek Gilliam character. The film was released five months after the death"
"been diagnosed two years prior. Richard Libertini Richard Joseph Libertini (May 21, 1933 – January 7, 2016) was an American stage, film and television actor. He was known for playing character roles and his ability to speak in numerous accents. His films include ""Catch-22"" (1970), ""The In-Laws"" (1979), ""Popeye"" (1980), ""All of Me"" (1984), ""Fletch"" (1985), ""Fletch Lives"" (1989), ""Awakenings"" (1990), ""Lethal Weapon 4"" (1998), and ""Dolphin Tale"" (2011). Libertini was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and graduated from Emerson College in Boston. During his early years, Libertini worked in New York City and in Chicago. He moved to Los Angeles"
"Mykelti Williamson Michael T. ""Mykelti"" Williamson (born March 4, 1957) is an American actor best known for his roles in the films ""Forrest Gump"" and ""Con Air"", and the television shows ""Boomtown"", ""24"", and ""Justified"". In 2016, he portrayed Gabriel Maxson in Denzel Washington's acclaimed film adaptation of August Wilson's play ""Fences"", reprising his role from the 2010 Broadway revival. His other notable roles include ""Free Willy"", ""Heat"", ""Lucky Number Slevin"", ""Three Kings"", ""Black Dynamite"", ""The Final Destination"", ""ATL"", ""Species II"", and """". Williamson was born in St. Louis, Missouri. He is the son of Elaine, a certified public accountant,"
"supervision. After violating parole with a minor drug distribution offense, Lucas (who was defended by Roberts) was returned to prison and was released in 1991. The story of Roberts' investigation and prosecution of Frank Lucas was adapted into the 2007 film ""American Gangster"", starring Academy Award-winning actors Denzel Washington portraying Lucas and Russell Crowe portraying Roberts. The film grossed more than US$127 million and was met with generally positive reviews. However, several people involved with the actual events regarding the investigation and prosecution (including Lucas and Roberts) have criticized the film as a largely fictional and exaggerated portrayal that contained"
"Philadelphia (film) Philadelphia is a 1993 American drama film and one of the first mainstream Hollywood films to acknowledge HIV/AIDS, homosexuality, and homophobia. It was written by Ron Nyswaner, directed by Jonathan Demme and stars Tom Hanks and Denzel Washington. Hanks won the Academy Award for Best Actor at the 66th Academy Awards for his role as Andrew Beckett in the film, while the song ""Streets of Philadelphia"" by Bruce Springsteen won the Academy Award for Best Original Song. Nyswaner was also nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay, but lost to Jane Campion for ""The Piano"". Andrew"